At closest approach Sunday, the 20-metre rock will pass a safe 40,000 kilometres over New Zealand. That’s about one-tenth the distance between here and the moon. It’s also beyond the orbit of our highest communication and weather satellites.

NASA says this latest near-Earth asteroid — called 20214 RC (R-C) — poses no threat to either the home planet or orbiting spacecraft, but “its close approach creates a unique opportunity for researchers to observe and learn more about asteroids.”